Love Returned
by Eirian
Summary: A story about after everyone has graduated from highschool. A Raye/Chad fic


Hello, everyone! This is the first Sailor Moon fanfic I've ever posted. Or finished, for that matter... Anyway, a word of explanation. This was originally one out of five stories tying up loose ends, romantically and otherwise, before the coming of Crystal Tokyo. I was inspired by a picture about a month back to write about Amy, but it's not finished, and I think it's gonna be a novel anyway (29 pages! without paragraph spaces!) Anyway, this is a little old, and Raye is OOC. But that's to be expected when the whole thing is only 2 pages long. All you Raye/Chad fans, I hope you like!  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing mentioned in this story belongs to me. Everything was created by Naoko Takeuchi, and the rights belong to her, Nakayoshi magazine, and Toei Productions. I am recieving no money to distribute this work of fiction, and am only distributing it so that others may enjoy it. I do not wish to be sued or otherwise held for copyright infringement. However, the following scene was my creation, and anyone who wishes to copy it should ask me first.  
  
I sighed, going over the books again, trying not to get angry. I hate mathematics. But ... well, Grampa never could see very well, and his eyesight has only gotten worse, so I finally convinced him I knew what I was doing. Now we share the work.   
  
Chad? He disappeared a year ago. Grampa was heartbroken. Chad left a really nice letter explaining his dad was sick and he had to go take care of him. But I understood how Gramps felt. I kind of miss him, too. He didn't seem like the brightest flame in the fire, but he was sweet and sincere. A good friend of Grampa's. And funny.  
  
I sigh again, getting back to the books. I'm becoming like Serena, daydreaming in the middle of my work. I lean over the ledger-   
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"What!?" I explode before I get a hold of my temper. I stand up, taking a deep, calming breath before turning around. How dare anyone interrupt me while I'm trying to work!  
  
Okay. There is the most gorgeous man I have ever seen standing in the doorway. He's wearing a tailored gray pinstripe suit, with a red tie with white diamond shapes on it. He has short, neatly brushed brown hair. He has tan skin, which sets off his eyes. They're dark gray, and they match the suit. "Y-yes?" I ask, at a loss for words - rare for me.  
  
"Raye Hino?"  
  
Get a grip, girl! I tell myself fiercely. You're a Shinto priestess. Nope, my knees are still like jelly. You're Sailor Mars. Nope, my stomach still has butterflies.  
  
You're a princess, destined for Neo-Queen Serenity's court. Okay. I'm better now. "I'm Raye Hino. And you are?" He looks slightly surprised, though not by my identity. "I'm Charles Smith. I have a question for you." I frown. I don't have time for questions, I want to shout. But instead, I nod. "Will you marry me?" He's not kidding people. He pulled out a diamond ring as he asks. Charles Smith, a man I've never met, is asking me to marry him.  
  
Oh. My. God.  
  
Chad. I look into his gray eyes. I see him now, reflected in this man's eyes. He loved me, and I put him through hell when he was here. And how does he repay me? He asks me to marry him.  
  
I feel wretched. I didn't believe he truly loved me; thought it was just a boyish infatuation. I put him down at every turn, chewed him out several times, yelled at him constantly, and incessantly derided him. And he asks me to marry him.  
  
I start to cry. Me. The great Raye Hino, breaks down into tears in front of Chad. I've never cried in front of anyone, not even Grampa. But I am just now realizing exactly how much of an effect Chad has on my life.  
  
He wrapped his arms around me. I throw mine around his shoulders, sobbing. "What's wrong, Raye?" I laugh as I cry. Not a humorous laugh, but a self-mocking one. Yes, Raye, tell him exactly what's wrong. I think my mind meant it to be sarcastic, but my heart latched onto the idea, and took it literally. "I was so mean to you!" I sob on his shoulder. I can't look him in the eye. "I'm sorry, Chad! I'm sorry. I treated you terribly because-I didn't think you really loved me. So now, you ask me to-Oh, I feel terrible!" I cry. Chad pulls away to look at me. I force myself to look back. I like him better without the five-o'-clock shadow and long hair. I like being able to look into his gray eyes.  
  
He wipes his thumb over my cheek, wiping away the tear. His hand stays on my jaw. Of their own accord, my arms move from the outside of his shoulders to wrap around his neck. This feels good. "I don't want you to cry, Raye. I want to make you happy. I think I CAN make you happy." He says it with such conviction, I want to believe him. I smile at the realization that I do. I trust him and I believe him. Because I actually do love him. I realize this has made me start crying again, and laugh unsteadily as I raise a hand to wipe away the new tears of happiness. Chad catches it with his other hand. Looking at him, my smile falls away. His hand is warm over mine. "Will you marry me, Raye? I do love you."  
  
"I can't leave the Jinja or Grampa." He realizes I'm not stating conditions, just simple facts. Grampa is my family, and the Jinja is my responsibility. He nods. "I know."  
  
"Yes." The word is barely audible, even to me. But I know he heard me. This is what he's been waiting to hear for six years, I'll wager. I guess I've been waiting to hear it, too. I look down, slightly embarrassed. I'm not one who does well with big, emotional scenes. I'm not good with emotions other than anger. Chad put his hand under my chin, slowly tilting my head up. When I saw his eyes, I saw the love he held. For me. I could feel it, radiating from him. And I felt the same. I felt it escaping from me. I swallowed nervously. "I love you, Chad."   
  
Instead of answering, he leaned in and kissed me. What did I do? What do you think I did to him?  
  
I kissed back.  
  



End file.
